From DE-A-1,937,152 and U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,955,214 and 4,149,206 cleaning cassettes of this kind are known, in which the drive means for the movable cleaning member, i.e. the pivot arm and the cam device, are brought into engagement with one of the coil shafts of the tape recorder introduced into the cassette casing in the operative position of the cassette. In non-reversing cassette tape recorders, in which only the shaft for the winding coil of a usual tape cassette is in drive connection with the motor of the tape recorder, the cleaning function with such cassettes can only be obtained by correct orientation of the cleaning cassette when in position in the cassette chamber of the tape recorder. For tape recorders having an automatic stop function erroneous positioning will cause stopping of the tape recorder and/or ejection of the cleaning cassette to the discomfort and irritation of the user.
From DK-A-4683/81 a cleaning cassette is known, in which this operational disadvantage is remedied by a double drive arrangement for the cleaning member in the form of a gear drive with two gears journalled in the cassette to enter into drive connection with respective ones of the coil shafts of the tape recorder in the operative position and an intermediate gear engaging both of said gears and being connected with an eccentric cam device acting on the pivot arm for the cleaning member.
Thereby, the operation is facilitated so that a correct cleaning function is obtained independent of the orientation of the cleaning cassette, when it is positioned in the tape recorder, this being obtained, however, at the expense of a more complicated and expensive construction which, moreover, as a result of the drive connection established through the gear drive has the disadvantage that the motor of the tape recorder shall operate through the driven shaft for the winding coil not only the drive arrangement in the cleaning cassette but also the shaft of the tape recorder for the feed or unwinding coil and the transmission members connected therewith. In case of excessive friction in the gear drive or the cleaning movement this may cause stopping of the tape recorder.